Charlie Turner

Charlie Turner Biography

Many contemporaries called Charlie Turner the greatest bowler of all time, and for good reason. Even on flat wickets he got batsmen with his cutters that jagged back off a length at awkward pace after landing exactly where he wanted them to. He also made the ball skid, and his off-cutters often moved more than off-breaks. With age he developed a fast leg-break and a yorker. No wonder they nicknamed him ‘Terror’.

All this was delivered off the smoothest, most rhythmic of actions, which was even more astonishing given his five-foot-nine frame. Archie MacLaren called him “poetry in motion,” while Sporting Life described a Turner wicket as “skittled by a sonnet”.

His 17 Tests fetched Turner 101 wickets at 16.53. Put a 100-wicket cut-off, and his average is the third-best in history and best among Australians. Only George Lohmann had got to the 100-wicket mark in fewer Tests; and his 50 wickets from 6 Tests remains a world record. He took 11 five-wicket hauls (in other words, about twice every 3 Tests). In all First-Class cricket his 993 wickets came at 14.

Turner formed a lethal pair with JJ Ferris. In the 8 Tests they played together, Turner took 56 wickets and Ferris 48, while their teammates got 21 between themselves. Twice (at Sydney in 1886-87 and at Lord’s 1888) they bowled unchanged in an innings. Later, in 1894-95 at Sydney, he did the same with George Giffen.

Turner had a special liking for WW Read, whom he dismissed 6 consecutive times in 1888 — a record that stood for over nine decades.

In 1886-87 rose as rapidly as anyone in history, taking 70 wickets at less than 8 including a hat-trick. The tally included 2 Tests.

On the 1888 Ashes tour he was nearly unplayable. He took 283 wickets at 12, going past Ted Peate’s season record of 214. The tally has been bettered by only Tich Freeman and Tom Richardson. He took 30 five-fors from 36 matches.

In the Lord’s Test, Turner bowled unchanged through both English innings. He finished with match figures of 10 for 63 and bowled out England for 53 and 62. That season six men were named as Wisden Bowlers of the Year. Both Turner and Ferris featured on the list.

When he came back two seasons later he had 179 wickets at 14.21; and three seasons after that, he had another 148, at 13.63.

When Johnny Briggs became the first to 100 Test wickets, Turner was a mere 3 wickets behind him. He then went past Briggs, albeit temporarily.

And then, after he took 3 for 18 and 4 for 33 to bowl out England for 65 and 72 at Sydney in 1894-95 he was dropped inexplicably, and never recalled. Tiffs with George Giffen certainly did not help things. In another two years he was gone.

Turner later started an import business and a magazine, none of which took off. He then worked at various banks and as a correspondent for Sun. He was also one of the earliest radio broadcasters.

He passed away in 1944. His ashes were left unclaimed at an undertaker’s for about 25 years before
David Frith and Jack Gunning found them and kept them at Bathurst Oval.

Cricket NSW included Turner in their All-Time Baggy Blue XII. He was later inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame.